APHIS CLARIFIES SEED POTATO IMPORT NEWS

The APHIS website contained information of import requirements that has been subsequently modified. According to APHIS officials, the current policy for seed imports from Canada is to prohibit imports from Alberta pending completion of the delimiting survey in Alberta and completion of the trace forward and trace back surveys associated with the current finds.

Discussions are continuing between APHIS and CFIA over the status of survey work in Canada to determine the source of the PCN infestation in Alberta. APHIS recently sent a team to Alberta to review the progress being made to conduct surveys on the Canadian farms where the initial finds occurred and on farms associated with the initial finds.

Based on what the APHIS team learned in Canada, there is concern from NPC over the fact that CFIA has completed testing of less than 25 percent of the delimiting samples. Without the results of the delimiting surveys there is inadequate information to properly assess the risk to U.S. potato production from seed potatoes originating in Alberta.

NPC supports the APHIS decision to prohibit Alberta seed shipments until the delimiting surveys are complete.